One painting at a time: ‘The Third of May 1808’ by Francisco Goya
Simon Tolkein | Prospect | 14th October 2025
An homage to Goya’s great work, The Third of May 1808. The Peninsula War, where Spain ousted the French occupiers, was brutal. Most artists would have shown an idealised version of events. Not Goya, who painted war as an act of “unmitigated cruelty”. Killers and victims were shown in close proximity to amp up the emotional impact. Dramatic lighting increased it further. The victim’s spread-arm gesture excites “our pity and our terror.” It’s little surprise that many claim this is the first modern painting.